Kenner Lecture: Bill Bradley

At the 2016 Kenner Lecture on Cultural Understanding and Tolerance, held in February, former U.S. Senator, Olympian, NBA Hall of Famer and author Bill Bradley regaled a packed audience in Baker Hall with personal stories and “quick history” lessons to provide context for his candid insights on the state of America and what all Americans can do to ensure the future success of the nation.

“We must never forget that the foundation of this country is the goodness of the American people,” he said. “And whatever the policies are, whatever the policy disagreements are, it is that that is important.”

Bradley explained what he sees as the major problems facing America today. Globalization and the rise of technology, he said, have led to job loss. American infrastructure is crumbling; the current tax system requires significant changes; and “the role of money in politics today is corroding our democracy,” he said.

“We need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, ‘Can we all do better?’” Bradley said. “... The reality is that America can be on the move again, but to do so, we need to see things clearly. We need to clean up that political system so it’s responsive to people and not the special interests; we need to make decisions that will generate long-term jobs; and we need to understand that it’s our example that sets us apart from the rest of the world.”

The Kenner lecture is made possible through the generosity of Jeffrey Kenner ’65.